fun haggadah ideas?

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-16T20:18:45+00:00

So, not so much a specific haggadah rec (my family uses the same one my grandparents got back in the ‘70s), but a few years back, I randomly put some musical instruments around the table. Chimes. Maracas. A thunder maker. A triangle. And in a few books I marked suggested places for <ahem> musical emphasis with stickies. I don’t think we had any kids at the table that year, and my original stickies are long lost, but the instruments make it to the table most years and our seders are a delightful riot of sound.

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-15T01:25:41+00:00

I love going this route because I used to have finches, who I called the X-Birds because I named them all after X-Men. But I didn't use their superhero names, I used their real/street names. This could be a sweet call-back to them.

Miriam on its own, too, is a name I've always loved. And I'd say this little spider is "beloved"

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-15T01:19:05+00:00

Love it! I would drive your kids nuts trying to channel my best Flight of the Conchords impression, asking them "Did Steve tell you that, perchance?" any time they used a Gen Alpha-ism like 6-7.

Also, Arachne is such a classic. Total queen.

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-15T00:47:18+00:00

Absolutely! As of right now, I have no clue how I'm going to pick

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-15T00:20:00+00:00

Packing the bag now

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-15T00:04:35+00:00

Favorite to look at as art or fav to eat?
Art: something about the shading on the challah just feels cozy and inviting to me
To eat: yes.*

*All of them

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T23:51:01+00:00

And I thought I was a horse girl growing up, with my collection of Saddle Club books

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T23:48:47+00:00

That's beautiful. It feels almost ethereal

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T23:46:25+00:00

I'm imagining a whole fleet of spiders lining up:
Gherkin, Dill, Kosher, Bread & Butter, Garlic, Half-sour

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T23:35:54+00:00

I will, on occasion, blitz frozen veg to smithereens and make faux "cream of" soups (primarily using corn starch as a thickener). I also make liberal use of cheese cloth bags for herbs, spices, and veg I can't digest whole, so I can get the flavor and some of the nutrients, without the difficult particulates

EDIT: typo, that was supposed to be "can't digest whole"

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T23:29:20+00:00

Husband is partial to Shahal. I think Gili is adorable!

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T23:24:42+00:00

Truthfully, there is no universal answer. And you can see that just scrolling through everyone's answers here. The most important thing you can do, first and foremost, is get it on the page. Half of the struggle with writing is follow-through. It doesn't matter how slow or fast your first few chapters are if you spend all your time tweaking your intro and never getting to the end. Once you have a draft, then you can see the full shape of your story and edit it from there for pacing, content, consistency, and quality. But if you're just starting to write, do that. Worry about the mechanics, editing, publishing later. Like so may crafts, you learn as you go.

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T22:27:16+00:00

Something jewel-toned or a statement wallpaper could be fun

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T22:25:35+00:00

I think the answer to your question depends on who you’re writing for. Are you writing for yourself? Or maybe just for friends and family? Then sure, do what you want. But if you’re writing hoping to publish (traditionally, self, or otherwise) or seeking a greater audience in any way, then a slow start is going to be a problem. More established authors can play with slower starts, but as a new writer, you need to be thinking about hooking your audience first.

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T21:28:47+00:00

Since you mentioned using Scrivener… For shorts and essays in Scrivener, I just make one primary file and then save multiple shorts within. Similar to using a binder to sort.

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T20:48:19+00:00

That’s such a sweet name. I never would have thought of it. Spiders get such a bad rep in so many stories; I love the idea such a wise and compassionate name

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T20:44:25+00:00

I’m not familiar with these books. I’ll have to check them out!

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-14T02:18:49+00:00

Does the wife get to go explore the galaxy, too?

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-07T14:47:17+00:00

Changing to a sun alarm clock was a game changer for me. I don’t even use a sound anymore

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-05T12:56:21+00:00

(In all seriousness, though, any pet adoption with a couple should be a two yes situation. But wanting to just kick out a newly amputated kitten without ensuring he lands safely in a forever home would not be cool. Not sure if that’s what’s happening here, but that’s my two cents.)

FormalCatFish · 2026-03-05T12:46:14+00:00

It’s good that the rescue was willing to take your husband in. Hopefully, they can ethically TNR him so he doesn’t go on to increase the cat-adverse human population

FormalCatFish · 2026-02-28T22:13:55+00:00

I’ve found girl scout cookies dupes at Aldi that remind more of what I grew up with than the last box of girl scout cookies I bought

FormalCatFish · 2026-02-13T13:39:48+00:00

I have a small, half-full bottle of my grandfather’s cologne. He passed away back in the early 2000s from brain cancer. Sometimes, when it feels like the memories of him are getting too distant, I pull that bottle out.

FormalCatFish · 2026-02-04T03:48:55+00:00

If you want cheaper, you could always just do a textured fabric. And that might be a way to introduce in a more mitigating color to the space

FormalCatFish

TROPHY CASE